Talk about a stacked deck. There are TWO environmentalists on the panel. One is Mike Leahy from DOW, and someone from the Sierra Club, not confirmed. The rest are ranchers, hunters, stockgrowers, outfitters, Wildlife Services, woolgrowers, state legislators, bowhunters, Montana Farmer’s Union, Sportsmen For Fish and Wildlife, Ravalli County Commissioner Rancher, Big Game Forever (Utah), Montana Dept. of Livestock, Montana FWP biologists, Montanans for Multiple Use and Toby Bridges.

He discussed killing wolves with the artificial sweetener Xylitol, toxic to canines, on his website Lobo Watch. This is who they pick to sit on a “listening session” panel on wolves. Is this a joke?

The panels are so shamelessly anti-wolf, it’s embarrassing. Wolves don’t have a chance with this group. IMO the point of these “listening sessions” is for Rehberg to preach to his base, mine for votes for the upcoming election, then go back to Washington, DC and say this was a representative panel of Montanans who want wolves “managed”. How completely transparent but totally predictable.

Wolf Warriors if you can attend any of the meetings, please do!! I know it will be uncomfortable but wolves are voiceless and need our help.

I believe the focus of these “meetings” will be the legislation drafted by Rehberg to strip gray wolves of their ESA protections. Since the anti-wolf crowd lost in court they now want to dismantle one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation, the ESA. Wolves were only able to make a comeback because of the ESA. They still face incredible persecution and need its protection more than ever.

Please refer to the Center for Biological Diversity’s press release for talking points, if you are attending any of the meetings.

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Center for Biological Diversity

For Immediate Release, September 30, 2010

Legislation Would Strip Federal Protection From Wolves Before Recovery is Complete

WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today condemned newly introduced federal legislation that would strip Endangered Species Act protections from wolves around the country before they have fully recovered.

“Recovery of endangered wolves is still far from complete,” said Michael Robinson of the Center. “Wolves occupy a mere 5 percent of their historic range in the continental United States and continue to be threatened by illegal killing and government predator control.”

Three bills have been introduced in Congress that would, variously, remove Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho , these states plus portions of surrounding states, or the entire country. The bills respond to a federal judge’s ruling in August that overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove Endangered Species Act protections from wolves in Montana , Idaho and portions of Washington , Oregon and Utah . Judge Donald W. Molloy ruled that the Fish and Wildlife Service cannot delist a species along political boundaries, in this case retaining listing in Wyoming , but rather must make such decisions based on science.

“The Endangered Species Act wisely requires decisions concerning the fate of endangered species like the wolf to be based solely on the best available scientific information,” said Robinson. “Allowing lawmakers to replace scientists in deciding which species get protected under the Endangered Species Act subverts the scientific process and sets a terrible precedent that will allow special interests to dictate which animals survive and which don’t.”

Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995, their numbers have increased to roughly 1,600 animals now primarily inhabiting Idaho , Montana and Wyoming . However, those states intend to drastically reduce wolf numbers once the animals are stripped of federal protection. Wyoming designates the wolf a “predatory animal” that can be shot on sight across almost 90 percent of the state. Wolf numbers in Idaho and Montana would be drastically curtailed under liberal public hunting and trapping seasons, as well as by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through aerial gunning, trapping and snaring, and gassing of pups in dens.

Wolves have also started to inhabit surrounding states, including four recently established wolf packs in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington, and individual wolves sighted in Utah and Colorado . These animals are in dire need of continued Endangered Species Act protection.

“Wolves have gained a pawhold in the northern Rocky Mountains , but they still need federal protection,” said Robinson. “With anti-wolf attitudes persisting among ranchers and wolf recovery just getting off the ground — or yet to begin in many areas — more work needs to be done to recover the wolf.”

To that end, the Center for Biological Diversity in July 2010 petitioned the federal government to develop a national recovery plan for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act to establish wolf populations in suitable habitat in the Pacific Northwest, California , Great Basin, southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and New England .

Wolves play a critical role in ecosystems. In Yellowstone National Park , wariness of wolves keeps elk from grazing on cottonwood saplings in low-visibility valleys. The cottonwoods that have matured in the 15 years that wolves have been back are reversing decades of ecological decline by providing habitat for birds, shade for fish, erosion control, and dam material and food for beavers whose ponds improve wildlife habitat even more. In Grand Teton National Park , a decline in pronghorn numbers was arrested and reversed by the reintroduction of wolves, which kill coyotes that hunt newborn pronghorns. In similar fashion, wolves benefit foxes. Overall, considering also the carrion that wolves provide to scores of other animals and the wolf’s role in ensuring survival of the fittest in its prey animals, this remarkable species is recognized as an engine of evolution.

Geez, we should be in for a balanced discussion on wolves without any scientific data being cdonsidered at all. Toby Bridges has about as much credibility as any of the ranchers that will be present, someone will have to call Toby and make sure to remind him to take his psychotropics before he lives his house! It’s funny Steuber the stooge from Wildlife ASServices will be there, remember Nabeki when he gave this psycho rancher lady my email address who sent me this email stating how wonderful the contributions that the modern ranching family makes to the country.

I remember William and why would he give out your private email to a complete stranger, a rancher no less? You know how I feel about WS. Hired killers. Can you imagine having a job killing animals and getting paid for it? I bet most of them are trophy hunters that get to live out their dream of killing animals for sport. What a disgusting agency. They need to be defunded pronto. Oh wait I forgot, they have to kill a million starlings or something this year or slaughter river otters and beavers. WOW what a job. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I told her people that supply roughly 3% of the U.S food supply shouldn’t be so full of themselves- it deteriorated from there! I said you won’t get any sympathy from me I haven’t eaten red meat in over ten years!

If a Federal Judge relists the wolves (i.e. Judge Molloy), why are people who are openly saying that they will defy the protection of the wolves, not being held accountable (i.e. arrested and given huge fines). Can we all just pick and choose what we want to comply with from our government rulings? If there are Senators,Governors, Mayors, or just regular people defying Judge Molloy; Why are they not being prosecuted?

When do these people realize that they do not own the right to destroy the wolve? Our national wildlife, especially that protected by the Endangered Specie List belong to the nation. Most of our natural wonders including our wildlife must be protected.

If for no other reason,and there are many reasons for wolves to exist in peace, we owe it to future generations to save these magnificent creatures from the selfish interests that would have them destroyed.

Carl and Janice…it’s entrenched hatred of wolves with no rhyme or reason. Wolves are handy scapegoats, they can’t fight back, they’re voiceless. I think politicians are posturing to their base for votes right now, which makes this a bad time for wolves but make no mistake this issue won’t go away after the elections. The groups that want to dismantle the ESA are chomping at the bit and wolves are a convenient excuse to do it. We have to be extra vigilant.

This blog is dedicated to the memory of Wolf 253, the beloved Yellowstone Druid wolf named Limpy, who was shot and killed in March 08, on the very day ESA protections were lifted for the gray wolf, by the then Bush Administration.